Barricades (documentary film)
Encyclopedia
Barricades was one of the first documentary film
s created for Israeli television. It tells the story of two families, one Jewish
and the other Palestinian, who both lost children during Israel
's War of Independence
, known to Palestinians as the Naqba
, or "Catastrophe." The film, directed by Ram Loevy
, caused considerable controversy when it aired on 1 August 1972
. It was the first time that an Arab viewers had a chance to experience the emotional significance of the Holocaust for Jews, and it was also the first time that Israeli Jews had an opportunity to experience the emotional significance of the Naqba to the Palestinian people.
Loevy first came up with the idea behind the documentary in 1968, while studying film in London
. As a Hebrew-language
broadcaster for the BBC
, he had proposed creating a documentary about the social rifts tearing at Israeli society, with one episode focusing on the conflict between Jews and Palestinians. Although the BBC expressed interest in the project, Loevy returned to Israel soon after to help launch Channel 1
, the country's first attempt at television broadcasting. He did not, however, abandon the idea, albeit in a more reduced format. Back in Israel, Loevy pitched the idea to the Israel Broadcasting Authority
, which agreed to fund the project. At the time, Professor Eliyahu Katz, one of the founders of Israeli television, explained that the idea fulfilled one of the major purposes for which television was brought to Israel: to strengthen ties between the Jewish and Arab
residents of the country. Loevy made the film in 1969.
The plotline focused on two families: the Shevat family of Haifa
, which had lost two sons in battle during the War of Independence, and the family of Hussein Abu-Muhammad Yehia of the Jalazoon
refugee camp
near Ramallah
, who lost two sons when the family fled from their ancestral home in the town of Ramla
. For over two decades, the families had been trapped in the past, still mourning their two sons. Though Israel was then living in the shadow of the Six-Day War
, Loevy made a conscious decision to base his story on 1948, explaining, "We focused on that year in order to push the testimonies back into the past. The two families in the film never meet; instead, a visit to the graves and a visit to the ruins of the Arab village are juxtaposed.
By the time the film was finished, however, Israel was engaged in a brutal War of Attrition
with its neighbors, and several new Palestinian guerrilla factions were taking up the armed struggle against Israel as a means of achieving self-determination. Focusing on the tragedy of the Palestinian people would, it was believed, only incite further violence. The film was shelved for three years, and only aired on 1 August 1972. The decision to finally air Barricades was made by Yeshayahu Tadmor, who had recently been appointed by the government to head Israeli television. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot he said that if the War of Attrition had still been raging, he would not have screened it either.
Yet even Tadmor's decision's was guarded. He agreed to screen Barricades, but only as part of a popular talk show, The Third Hour, so that the content could be discussed by a panel of "experts," which would ideally include both Arabs and Jews. Only Jews participated, however. One Arab guest, Muhammad Ali Ja'abari
, mayor of Hebron
and a Jordan
ian parliamentarian
, refused to participate. At the same time, Israel's Foreign Minister Abba Eban
refused to appear with a second guest, Anwar Nusseibeh
, former Jordanian defense minister and governor of Jerusalem. In the end, none of them participated, and the Director General of the IBA Shmuel Almog decided not to replace them.
An editorial published in the newspaper Maariv two days after Barricades was aired noted that in the end, the ensuing discussion was unbalanced. Not only did the film fail to present the Palestinian side of the issue, but the remaining guests were either politicians or people known for their political positions. It added that whereas Loevy had succeeded in depicting an emotional portrait of two families' personal tragedies, the guests focused on the political issues while engaging in a game of political one-upmanship
with the absent representatives of the Palestinians. "It would have been better," wrote the author, "if intellectuals, whose conscious is plagued by the problems inherent in our relationship with the Arabs, had participated."
Despite the politicization of Barricades, the film challenged pre-existing notions about Palestinian refugee
s then prevalent in Israeli society and led many people, however briefly, to reconsider their attitudes toward the Palestinian right of return
. The debate surrounding the screening of the film also presaged the tension surrounding Loevy's 1978 film Khirbet Khizeh.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
s created for Israeli television. It tells the story of two families, one Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and the other Palestinian, who both lost children during Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's War of Independence
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, known to Palestinians as the Naqba
1948 Palestinian exodus
The 1948 Palestinian exodus , also known as the Nakba , occurred when approximately 711,000 to 725,000 Palestinian Arabs left, fled or were expelled from their homes, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the Civil War that preceded it. The exact number of refugees is a matter of dispute...
, or "Catastrophe." The film, directed by Ram Loevy
Ram Loevy
Ram Loevy is an award-winning Israeli television director and screenwriter since the medium first began broadcasting in the country in 1968...
, caused considerable controversy when it aired on 1 August 1972
1972 in television
The year 1972 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1972.For the American TV schedule, see: 1972-73 American network television schedule.-Events:...
. It was the first time that an Arab viewers had a chance to experience the emotional significance of the Holocaust for Jews, and it was also the first time that Israeli Jews had an opportunity to experience the emotional significance of the Naqba to the Palestinian people.
Loevy first came up with the idea behind the documentary in 1968, while studying film in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As a Hebrew-language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
broadcaster for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, he had proposed creating a documentary about the social rifts tearing at Israeli society, with one episode focusing on the conflict between Jews and Palestinians. Although the BBC expressed interest in the project, Loevy returned to Israel soon after to help launch Channel 1
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
, the country's first attempt at television broadcasting. He did not, however, abandon the idea, albeit in a more reduced format. Back in Israel, Loevy pitched the idea to the Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
, which agreed to fund the project. At the time, Professor Eliyahu Katz, one of the founders of Israeli television, explained that the idea fulfilled one of the major purposes for which television was brought to Israel: to strengthen ties between the Jewish and Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
residents of the country. Loevy made the film in 1969.
The plotline focused on two families: the Shevat family of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, which had lost two sons in battle during the War of Independence, and the family of Hussein Abu-Muhammad Yehia of the Jalazoon
Jalazone
Jalazone is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located seven kilometers north of Ramallah and adjacent to the village of Jifna. It was established in 1949, following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, on 253 dunams of Jifna's land...
refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
near Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, who lost two sons when the family fled from their ancestral home in the town of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
. For over two decades, the families had been trapped in the past, still mourning their two sons. Though Israel was then living in the shadow of the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, Loevy made a conscious decision to base his story on 1948, explaining, "We focused on that year in order to push the testimonies back into the past. The two families in the film never meet; instead, a visit to the graves and a visit to the ruins of the Arab village are juxtaposed.
By the time the film was finished, however, Israel was engaged in a brutal War of Attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
with its neighbors, and several new Palestinian guerrilla factions were taking up the armed struggle against Israel as a means of achieving self-determination. Focusing on the tragedy of the Palestinian people would, it was believed, only incite further violence. The film was shelved for three years, and only aired on 1 August 1972. The decision to finally air Barricades was made by Yeshayahu Tadmor, who had recently been appointed by the government to head Israeli television. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot he said that if the War of Attrition had still been raging, he would not have screened it either.
Yet even Tadmor's decision's was guarded. He agreed to screen Barricades, but only as part of a popular talk show, The Third Hour, so that the content could be discussed by a panel of "experts," which would ideally include both Arabs and Jews. Only Jews participated, however. One Arab guest, Muhammad Ali Ja'abari
Muhammad Ali Ja'abari
Sheikh Muhammad Ali Ja'abari was the long-serving mayor of the Palestinian city of Hebron, appointed by Jordan, from 1948 to 1976. Ja'abari was head of the Jericho Conference in Jericho which supported the unification of the West Bank and Jordan...
, mayor of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
and a Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian parliamentarian
Parliament of Jordan
The Parliament of Jordan is the bicameral Jordanian National Assembly: "Majlis al-Umma". Established by the 1952 Constitution, the legislature consists of two houses: the Assembly of Senators and the Chamber of Deputies .The Assembly of Senators has 60 members, all of whom are directly appointed...
, refused to participate. At the same time, Israel's Foreign Minister Abba Eban
Abba Eban
Abba Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician.In his career he was Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Education Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations...
refused to appear with a second guest, Anwar Nusseibeh
Anwar Nusseibeh
Anwar Nusseibeh Anwar Nusseibeh was a Palestinian nationalist who believed in maintaining Arab consensus, on the grounds that Arab unity was more important than the individual differences...
, former Jordanian defense minister and governor of Jerusalem. In the end, none of them participated, and the Director General of the IBA Shmuel Almog decided not to replace them.
An editorial published in the newspaper Maariv two days after Barricades was aired noted that in the end, the ensuing discussion was unbalanced. Not only did the film fail to present the Palestinian side of the issue, but the remaining guests were either politicians or people known for their political positions. It added that whereas Loevy had succeeded in depicting an emotional portrait of two families' personal tragedies, the guests focused on the political issues while engaging in a game of political one-upmanship
One-upmanship
One-upmanship is the art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.The term originated as the title of a book by Stephen Potter, published in 1952 as a follow-up to The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship and Lifemanship titles in his series of tongue-in-cheek self-help books, and film ...
with the absent representatives of the Palestinians. "It would have been better," wrote the author, "if intellectuals, whose conscious is plagued by the problems inherent in our relationship with the Arabs, had participated."
Despite the politicization of Barricades, the film challenged pre-existing notions about Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
s then prevalent in Israeli society and led many people, however briefly, to reconsider their attitudes toward the Palestinian right of return
Palestinian right of return
The Palestinian right of return is a political position or principle asserting that Palestinian refugees, both first-generation refugees and their descendants, have a right to return, and a right to the property they or their forebears left or which they were forced to leave in what is now Israel...
. The debate surrounding the screening of the film also presaged the tension surrounding Loevy's 1978 film Khirbet Khizeh.